Medical news of the obvious

Food that's advertised in magazines tends to be unhealthy, a new study from the UK finds. It seems the glossies are filled with enticements to buy chocolates and pre-packaged meals loaded with preservatives, instead of tempting missives from the Carrot Farmers of England or the National Broccoli Foundation. But hey, the title of one of the 30 mags they studied is "Nuts," so maybe there is some subversive healthy messaging going on, after all.

Putting babies and small children in car seats, rather than letting them float around the car, greatly reduces the chances they'll die, a new study found. Study author Thomas Rice of UC-Berkeley, speaking in the Washington Post, clarifies for us that car seats are necessary because infants are fragile: "The higher effectiveness of safety seats among infants is likely due to their overall fragility," Rice is quoted as saying. Hear that, moms?

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